464 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



In Europe the Common Snipe begins 

 to nest in the middle of April, but in 

 Kashmir apparently not till May. The 

 nest is a depression in the ground, lined 

 with a little grass, and is usually placed 

 near a swamp amongst rushes or high 

 grass. The eggs are almost always four 

 in number, and placed, like the eggs of 

 all the Waders, with the points towards 

 the centre of the nest. The eggs are 

 sharply pyriform, and are only slightly 

 glossy. The ground-colour varies a good 

 deal : from pale greenish to buff or brownish 

 olive of various shades. The surface- 

 markings are large spots and blotches of 

 dark brown or chocolate-brown, usually 

 more dense at the larger end of the egg 

 than elsewhere, where they are often 

 confluent. The underlying markings are 

 purplish grey. A large number of eggs 

 measure from 1*5 to 172 in length, and 

 from 1*05 to i '2 in breadth. 



Several instances are recorded of the 

 breeding of this or the Pin-tail Snipe in 

 the plains or hill-ranges of the Empire, 

 as indicated by the capture, as I under- 

 stand, of young Snipes recently hatched. 

 I have had no opportunity of examining 

 any of these young birds ; nor do the eggs 

 ever appear to have been found. 



